Apr 3 Top 10 Ways I Saved Money on My Wedding

There are a lot a ways to save money on your wedding. Here are a few areas I saved money on:

Flowers

A lot of brides (including myself) want to use real flowers for their wedding. You do not need to use real flowers everywhere. It was important to me to carry real flowers, but I used artificial flowers for the bridesmaids. I found pre-made bouquets at the craft store and added my own ribbons to customize them. Instead of spending $35 for each bridesmaids bouquets, I spent about $50 for all six bouquets total.

Time of year

I know everyone wants a wedding on a Saturday in June, but everything is more expensive during that time of year. The wedding off season is January through March. My fiancé and I picked a date in the middle of March. We booked about a year in advance and got first pick of dates at our hall. We also got charged a cheaper price per person and satin chair covers/napkins for only a dollar per person.

Wedding dress

Let’s be real, you do not need to spend $3,000 on a wedding dress. Shop around, look at small bridal salons, have someone make a dress for you, and look online. I ended up having my dress made from someone on Etsy. She was willing to custom make a dress that fit me perfectly and cost less than $500.

Location, Location, Location

When deciding on where to have your wedding, it is important to decide on your budget before you look at your options. Having your budget will help you prioritize what is important to you when it comes to your location. My fiancé and I talked to and looked at a lot of locations before we decided on where to have our reception. We ended up choosing a location that cost less per person than other places, did not charge for cutting the cake, and could accommodate 200 people.

Food glorious food

My fiancé and I decided to keep it simple with food. We stuck with the basic buffet and cocktail hour food. We did not upgrade any of the food. As long as the food at your location is good and there is enough variety for people, everyone will be happy.

Alcohol

No one really cares about the upgraded bar package if you have an open bar. It’s probably not worth the extra money.

Wedding cake

Two words, dummy cake. When you have a dummy wedding cake, only one of the layers is real and the rest is made with Styrofoam. This allows you to have a larger cake and do the normal “cake cutting” but then they take the cake to the back and then serve sheet cake. This could save you hundreds of dollars on your cake. Yes, I did say hundreds of dollars on a cake.

Photography

Photography is very important. You don’t need to spend $4,000 on wedding photos, but you will most likely not get very good photos if you book someone that is only charging $500. Wedding photos are not something you can redo. For good wedding photos, you need to go into it expecting to pay at least $1,500-$2,500. Before you book some random photographer you met at a bridal show, ask your family and friends for referrals. There is a chance that your cousins neighbor is a great wedding photographer and will give you the friends and family discount. No matter who you end up booking, you NEED to see multiple examples of their work before you put a deposit down.

Cut the extras

Do you really need to spend $700 on a limo? Do you really need to spend money on a giveaway gift for everyone that will most likely get thrown away? Do your bridesmaids really need a silk robe that says bridesmaid on the back that they’ll only wear once AND some jewelry to wear at the wedding AND pay for all of them to get their nails done? Don’t just buy these things. Think it through first and decide if those things are actually important to you before you spend the money. It’s okay to not do everything.

Don’t rush into decisions

Last but not least, don’t rush into decisions. Making decisions before you’ve done research can cost you extra money. Stay calm. Don’t rush into things. Don’t let people freak you out into making a decision right then and there.